For Domestic Violence Awareness month, Host Wendy Fong sits down with Carmen Aliber, director of HR at Dexter Southfield, to discuss how domestic violence and abuse can affect both employees and employers. Carmen defines abuse, dispels misconceptions, and offers insights and strategies as to how HR professionals can prevent, identify, and address domestic violence and abuse in the workplace.
Sensitivity Warning: Domestic Violence, Abuse.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence hotline at 800-799-7233 or text 88788.
Episode Guest
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Carmen Aliber
Director of Human Resources, Dexter Southfield
Carmen Aliber has lived a life of service advocating for others in the workplace, schools, and through social justice causes. Throughout her career as a Human Resources leader, she has witnessed the impact that domestic abuse has in the workplace. It was not until she found herself in an abusive situation that she understood why the U.S. Center for Disease Control considers intimate partner violence a serious public health issue that can have “a profound impact on lifelong health, opportunity, and well-being.”
After escaping her abusive relationship, Aliber sought to raise awareness of domestic violence and change the law to protect survivors of coercive control, the foundation of all forms of domestic abuse. She co-founded Together Rising Above Coercion, an advocacy coalition, and worked with lawmakers who unanimously passed legislation to protect survivors of coercive control and exploitation. She continues to serve as a speaker, mentor, and trainer to help others recognize the warning signs of domestic abuse, identify ways to support survivors, and assist employers in ensuring a safe workplace for all.
Carmen was named a 2024 Women of Courage award recipient after testifying before the Massachusetts Legislature to share her story of survival and escape. She presented “Domestic Abuse: What Goes On Behind Closed Doors Impacts the Workplace” at SHRM24 and has been a panelist and presenter at Northeastern University’s School of Law, where she has discussed strategies to shape political dialogue and change legislation.
Aliber holds a BS degree in Organizational Communications and an MS degree in Organizational Leadership/Human Resources Management from Northeastern University along with a graduate certificate in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University.
Related Article
The pervasiveness and severity of domestic violence impacting the workplace demands the attention of employers, managers, human resources and security staff, experts agreed.
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